eSafety Commissioner Pushes to Include YouTube in Under-16 Social Media Ban

The commissioner has formally written to Minister Wells urging a review of YouTube’s exemption.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, June 15, 2021. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

YouTube is facing renewed calls to be included in Australia’s upcoming social media ban for under 16s.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued warning amid new research showing that Australian children were being routinely exposed to dangerous content online, including YouTube.

Although the federal government initially excluded YouTube from its landmark social media ban for under-16s—citing the platform’s educational uses—the commissioner has formally advised Communications Minister Anika Wells to reconsider.

“YouTube is the most common platform used by children, and also the one where they report experiencing the most harm,” Inman Grant said during a speech to the National Press Club on June 24.

“We see everything from violent videos and misogynistic content to eating disorder promotion and suicidal ideation.”

Survey Paints a Grim Picture of Kids’ Online Experiences

The Keeping Kids Safe Online survey found that 53 percent of children experienced cyberbullying, and 74 percent had seen or heard harmful content online.

It also found:

• 38 percent had been subjected to hurtful comments online.
• 35 percent said they were deliberately excluded from digital group activities.
• 25 percent experienced humiliating or degrading online messages.
• Around 47 percent encountered fight videos, offensive comments about women, or dangerous online challenges.

“These statistics highlight the very real, very present dangers kids are navigating online—and why platforms like YouTube must be part of the solution,” said Inman Grant.

“Carving out exemptions by name undermines the intent of the legislation and fails to reflect the realities of where kids are actually being harmed.”

YouTube Defends Exemption, Rejects Safety Concerns

YouTube has rejected the call for its inclusion, maintaining that it is not a social media platform in the traditional sense.

Rachel Lord, the company’s Australian public policy manager, said the commissioner’s recommendation contradicted prior government assessments.

“YouTube is not a social media platform. It is a video-streaming service that provides high-quality educational and entertainment content,” she said.

“It is increasingly accessed via television, not phones, and we believe the existing exemption reflects this difference.”

The platform also cited findings from the federal government’s age-assurance trial, which showed a majority of Australians believe YouTube appropriate for children under 15.

“This recommendation [from the eSafety commissioner] disregards the government’s own data, public commitments, and the views of families,” Lord added.

AI Threats Prompt New Industry Standards

Alongside YouTube, the eSafety commissioner also raised concerns about AI-generated content, with Inman Grant revealing reports that showed AI chatbots had exposed students to sexually explicit content.

“Some children were directed by these AI companions to engage in harmful sexual behaviours,” she warned. “While AI brings enormous potential, it also presents profound risks—and those risks are no longer theoretical.”

To address these growing challenges, Inman Grant announced that the government is preparing to register three new industry-developed safety codes, as part of the Online Safety Act’s framework.

These codes would require providers—from hosting services to internet carriers—to implement safeguards across the digital “technology stack,” including stronger age verification tools and protections against high-impact material such as pornography, suicide, and disordered eating.

“I’ve informed industry that I plan to register the codes covering enterprise hosting services, internet carriage services, and search engines,” she said, adding that stronger commitments are still being negotiated with app stores, device makers, messaging platforms, and other service providers.